From the CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS
HAGERSTOWN, MD — Potomac State’s season came to an end Saturday in the Region XX Division I semifinals, as the Catamounts fell to Harford, 13-10, at Municipal Stadium.
The loss concludes an impressive season for Potomac State, as the squad from Keyser, West Virginia, accumulated a 35-8 record. However, a 2-2 mark in postseason play ended the campaign unceremoniously.
PSC started strong against Harford (27-10-1) with a 6-1 edge after five innings. The Owls exploded with 12 runs over the next four frames. Trailing 13-7 in the bottom of the ninth, the Catamounts cut their deficit in half, but the comeback was too little to late.
The contest’s crushing blow came in the top of the ninth with Harford up by three. Hunter Blair, a defensive substitution inserted at catcher in the sixth inning, smacked a two-out double with the bases loaded to empty the bags and give the Owls a six-run cushion.
Zack Whitacre led off the bottom half with a solo home run to right, and Caleb Taylor and Devon Neal notched back-to-back two-baggers to trim into the deficit. But Harford reliever Nick Hohenstein forced two straight groundouts to advance to the title game and end Potomac State’s season.
Potomac State outhit Harford, 10-8. The Catamounts’ arms were up-and-down with 19 strikeouts and eight walks, as evidenced by the 205 pitches they needed to get through nine innings — 50 more than the Owls.
PSC starter Avery Heiple was dominant through five innings Saturday, but he was chased after allowing a bases-clearing triple by Braydon Parr — who went 4 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs to lead Harford.
Heiple struck out 12 and allowed just one hit in 5 1/3 innings, but he was hit with four runs due in part to five free passes issued.
Graham Brown went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs at the plate for PSC. Taylor went 2 for 3, including a two-run first-inning homer, with three RBI’s and three runs. Neal slashed 2 for 5 with two RBIs.
Whitacre, Dale Houser and Josh Hoffman recorded one hit in four at-bats each. Whitacre scored three times from the leadoff spot.
PSC’s Trevor Thomas was tabbed with his first loss in five decisions after allowing six runs in 2 2/3 frames.
Hohenstein picked up the win in relief after allowing five runs, four earned, in 4 2/3 innings pitched on six hits, four strikeouts and a walk. Ethan Kiple got the start for Harford, and he gave up five runs in 4 1/3 frames, walking four and striking out three.
In addition to Parr, the Owls’ other four hits were evenly dispersed.
Reyce Curnane was 1 for 4 with a three-run homer. Ajay Sczepkowski went 1 for 4, plating two on an RBI and scoring once. Andrew Sicinski went 1 for 4 with a run and a ribbie. Blair was 1 for 2 with three RBIs.
Potomac State 14 Hagerstown 9
The Catamounts opened strong and dominated the middle innings to beat Hagerstown (40-12) in an elimination game in their first playoff game Saturday.
PSC went up 6-1 after three — Dakota Miller tallied a three-RBI single during a four-run fourth inning. Hagerstown pushed ahead with a six-run fourth, but the Catamounts plated the game’s next eight runs to blow the game open.
In the bottom of the fourth, Jack Hoeymans lifted a solo bomb to right — he homered again in the fifth on a two-run shot — and Brown doubled to score Whitacre for the go-ahead run, making it 8-7. From then on, PSC never trailed.
PSC reliever Robert Kelley was the winning pitcher after shutting down Hagerstown in the later innings. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with five strikeouts in five frames out of the pen. Jared Adams started for the Catamounts, giving up seven runs, six earned, in four innings.
PSC outhit Hagerstown, 12-8.
Anthony Swenda ended with a game-high three hits in four at-bats, the big one a three-RBI home run in the seventh to pad Potomac State’s lead, 14-7. He ended with four ribbies and scored twice.
Hoeymans finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs. Neal was 2 for 5, scoring three times. Brown ended 2 for 5 with a pair of ribbies. Whitacre slashed 2 for 5 and scored twice, and Miller was 1 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs.
Hagerstown starter Daniel Walter was the losing arm after allowing eight runs on eight hits in four innings on the mound. Reliever Will Grove surrendered six runs on four hits in three innings.
Corey Walters led Hagerstown with a 2 for 3 effort, plating one and scoring twice. Six different hitters combined for the squad’s other six hits.